Combination drafting and lettering pen



Feb. 11, 1941. H. H. BLAKE, JR

COMBINATION DRAFTING AND LETTERING PEN Filed Nov. 6, 1959 INVENTOR.

144K040 H. 54mm, 1 BY 8 1X (Pb- A TTORNEYS Patented Feb. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE COMBINATION DRAFTING AND LETTERING PEN 16 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in a combination drafting and lettering pen, and its principal object is to provide a pen of the character described that may be conveniently used for drawing lines and for lettering so as to make it unnecessary for the draftsman to shift from one pen to another for the purposes aforesaid.

A further object of my invention is to provide a pen of the character described that presents a smooth and even surface from one end to the other, substantially of fountain-pen thickness, tapering gradually toward the point, and in which the adjusting means are arranged inside the pen, whereby the outer face is left entirely unobstructed.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a pen of the character described in which the point is arranged approximately in line with an outer surface element of the pen body so as to facilitate sighting, particularly for printing operations.

Another object of my invention is to provide a. novel arrangement of pen point sections lending itself particularly to the carrying out of the main idea of the invention and a novel operating means for one of the sections adapted for control by a cap at the upper end of the pen.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds and the novel features thereof will be set forth in the claims hereto attached.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of my pen;

Figure 2, a top plan view thereof;

Figure 3, an enlarged, fragmentary section taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4, a transverse section taken along line 4ll of Figure 1;

Figure 5, a perspective View of my pen showing different parts of the same in disassembled relation;

Figure 6, a perspective view of a pen point section; and

Figure 7, a detailview of a leaf spring used as a control element in my pen.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawingin detail, my pen I consists in its principal parts of a stem 2, a pen point 3 comprising two sections 4 and 5, a cap 6 and an operating means I for the pen point accommodated in the stem.

The stem 2 is preferably cylindrical in form and shaped with a bore 8 extending therethrough, and a reduced threaded extension 9. While the stem generally may be hollow, it is preferably provided with two bearings I and H near the ends thereof.

The pen point 3 comprises the two sections 4 and 5,.illustrate'd in detail in Figures and 6. The section 4 may be considered the main section and consists of a tubular portion l2 tapering slightly from one end to the other and having an internal thread I3 at the larger end to screw on the extension 9 of the stem. It is formed with an end wall 14 at its small end and the end wall has a bearing 5 for the operating member I.

From the end wall projects the nib l5, which is off-set relative to the wall, has a substantially fiat inner face I6 and tapers to a point H, the outer face of the nib merging smoothly into the outline of the remainder of the point section.

It will be noted that the extreme point I! lies substantially in the vertical central plane of the pen but above the horizontal central plane of the same. In fact, it is almost in line with the upper surface of the pen, as seen in Figure 1, so that in writing the draftsman has no difficulty in sighting or observing the pen point. In this respect my pen resembles the ordinary writing pen rather than the conventional drafting pen.

In the wall opposite that portion from which the nib 15 projects, the point section 4 is provided with a lengthwise slot l8 having a narrow portion near the rear end and a wider portion through the remainder of the section, the two portions forming shoulders I9 where they join.

The narrow portion is substantially coextensive with the thread l3 and is formed with bevelled edges making the slot wider on the inside than on the outside. The wider slot has straight edge walls defining the same and two stops 2% are provided on opposite sides of the slot inside the point section to serve as guide members for a leaf spring described hereinafter.

The second point section 5 comprises a shank 2! which is made to fit in the slot I8. One end 22 is bevelled to fit the narrow portion of the slot i8 and is formed with a thread 23 complementing the internal thread I3 in the other point section.

The other end of the shank has a nib 24 projecting therefrom, which is made to match and cooperate with the nib I of the other section. The two nibs form an ink well 25 between the same and the ink well is bounded by the wall M in the rear.

To assemble, the rear end of the shank 2| is passed through the wider portion of the slot 18 and." moved rearwardly with a tilting movement, which brings the bevelled edges and the complementary threads into registry, and at the same time brings the, extreme ends of the nibs into contact, whereupon the two assembled sections are threaded upon the extension 9. The section 5 is now anchored to the other section at the thread. The shank 2! is sufiiciently flexible and elastic to allow it to be urged outward for separating the extreme points by the means presently to be described.

The operating means I for separating the pen.

nibs comprise a rod 26 revolvably mounted in the bearings H] and H of the stem.

The forward end of the rod projects into the pen point and has a central unthreaded portion 21 within a chamber 28 formed in the pen point. Therod is threaded in opposite directions on opposing sides of the unthreaded portion 21. The forward end of the rod 26 extends into the bearing it.

Two nuts 29 are provided on the reverse threads and are interconnected by a leaf spring 30, which normally curves outwardly and bears against the inner face of the point section 5 at the shank 2!, the spring being held against rotary motion by the stops 20.

It is apparent that when the rod 26 is turned in one direction, the nuts will approach one another and urge the leaf spring outwardly, thereby separating the nibs. A reverse movement of the rod will cause the nuts to separate and draw the leaf spring inwardly and allow the nibs to close in on one another under action of the shank 2 l.

The leaf spring is fastened to the nuts in the manner shown in Figure '7. Grooves 30 are fashioned in opposite sides of each nut, while the ends of the spring are recessed, as at 39''. The ends of the spring are telescoped into the grooves 39' for anchoring the spring to the nuts.

For operating the rod 26 I use the cap 6, which has a reduced extension 3! having a sliding fit in the rear end of the stem 2 and being slit, as at 32, to receive the flattened rear end 33 of the rod.

A suitabie scale may be arranged on the stem and the cap, as at 34, to fix different positions for diiierent pen openings, whereby the draftsman is enabled to make adjustments more quickly and to secure uniformity between lines of the same character.

For assembling, the operator first positions the point section 5 with respect to point section 4, then introduces the rod, making sure that the spring 38 is opposite the shank 2| of the point section 5 and slides between the stops 28), while the end enters the bearing l5. Next he introduces the stem 2 over the projecting end of the rod 26 and threads its end 9 into the complementary threads 13 and 23, thereby firmly anchoring the rear end of the point section 5 and urging the extreme pen points toward one another. The introduction of the cap, with its slit engaging over the flat end of the rod, completes the operation.

Any adjustment of the nibs may now be made very readily by merely turning the cap.

I claim:

1. A pen of the character described, comprising a stem, a pen point having a pair of separable sections secured to one end of the stem, a capsecured to the other end of the stem, an operating member extending through the stem and connected to the cap and having an end projecting between the point sections and means on said end operable for changing the spacing between the point sections when the cap is turned.

2. A pen of the character described, comprising a stem, a pen point having a pair of separable sections secured to one end of the stem, a cap on the other end of the stem, an operating member having bearing in the stem and being connected to the cap and having an end projecting between the point sections, reverse threads on said end and nuts on said threads having a spring leaf connecting the same, the spring leaf being held against rotation and being arranged to bear on one of the point sections for moving it relative to the other section in response to movements of the nuts on the operating member.

3. A pen as defined in claim 2, in which means are provided for limiting the movement of the nuts in either direction.

4. In a pen of the character described, a pen point made in two sections, one section being tubular and having a lengthwise slot, the other section having a shank fitting in said slot, and coacting nibs projecting from the sections in converging relation to form an ink well therebetween the two sections having complementary internal threads for screwing the same upon a holding member. 7

5. In a pen of the character described, a pen point made in two sections, one section being tubular and having a lengthwise slot, the other section having a shank fitting in said slot, means for holding said shank in the slot, and coacting nibs projecting from the sections in converging relation to form an ink well therebetween, the two sections having registering shoulders for pcsitioning one with respect to the other and having a continuous thread for holding the sections in assembled relation when the thread is turned upon an object.

6. In a pen of the character described, a pen point made in two sections, one section being tubular and having a lengthwise slot, the other section being movable in the slot and the two sections having interlocking ends formed with a continuous thread for fastening upon a holding member.

7. In a pen of the character described, a pen point comprising a tubular portion tapering toward one end and having a transverse wall at said end and separable nibs projecting from said end beyond the wall and converging to form an ink well between the same and the wall an operating member having bearing in the transverse Wall, and means on the operating member for adjusting the spacing between the nibs.

8. A pen of the character described comprising a stem and a pair of coacting nibs at one end thereof to form a pen point and an ink well between the nibs, the latter being shaped to present their extremities approximately in line with the surface of the stem.

9. A pen point section comprising a tubular portion tapering toward one end and having a transverse wall at one end, and a nib projecting from the said end beyond the wall and in offset relation to the latter, the tubular portion having a lengthwise slot opposite the nib, and the slot being relatively narrow at the end opposite the nib and wider through the tapering portion so as to form a pair of shoulders therein.

10. A pen point section comprising a slightly curved shank made of springy material and a nib at one end thereof, the other end having bevelled side edges and a circularly concaved face with a thread cut into said face.

'11. In a pen of the character described, an elongated, elastic pen point section, means for anchoring the same at one end thereof, an operating member mounted to run alongside the section and having reverse threads thereon, nuts on said threads and a leaf spring connecting the nuts and bearing on the said section.

12. In a pen of the character described, a stern having a reduced threaded end, a tubular pen point section having a lengthwise slot and an internal thread for screwing on the former thread, a second pen point section fitting in said slot and having a threaded end complementary to the thread of the first section for screwing on the stem, the two sections having interlocking bevelled edges in their threaded portions for anchoring the threaded end of the second pen point section to the stem.

13. A pen of the character described, comprising a stem, a pen point having a pair of separable sections secured to one end of the stem, a cap revolvably secured to the other end of the stem, an operating member extending through the stem and being connected to the cap and having an end projecting between the point sections, a nut threaded on the said end and held against turning movement whereby the nut is moved longitudinally in response toa turning movement of the cap, the nut being operable for adjusting the spacing between the point sections.

14. A pen of the character described comprising a stem, a pen point having a pair of separable sections secured to one end of the stem, a cap revolvably secured to the other end of the stem, an operating member extending through the stem and being connected to the cap and having an end projecting between the point sections and a nut threaded on the said end, the nut being operable for adjusting the spacing between the point sections.

15. A pen of the character described comprising a stem, a pen point having a pair of separable sections secured to one end of the stem, a cap revolvably secured to the other end of the stem, an operating member extending through the stem and being connected to the cap and having an end projecting between the point sections, and

means on said end operable for adjusting the spacing between the point sections.

16. In a pen of the character described, a pen point having a pair of separable point section, an operating member having an end projecting between the point sections, and means on said end operable for adjusting the spacing between the point sections.

HAROLD H. BLAKE, JR. 

